aliana-winchester:

Ali turned to looked toward the place, expecting it to be familiar. “Yes, I have a room there. It wasn’t the grandmother that was there, though.” She turned back to her meal and nibbled as she thought about Regina. “I’ve gotten those looks before. That’ one of the reasons I don’t go back home,” she stated. Ali remembered the only time she went back, just a year after her mother had died and she had started to travel. When Ali came back, her former friends and confidants had turned their back on her. They called her a selfish coward who only cared about herself. Maybe it had been that way - she wasn’t really social in those times, either. “They didn’t understand that this was how I honored my mother. Traveling, doing things she would have loved to do.”

Ali hadn’t meant to get personal, but since the mayor was the only person she knew, it had kind of slipped out. She leaned forward a bit and lowered her voice. “Is anyone in here magic?”

Regina leaned forward in the booth, elbows on the tabletop as she hung onto Aliana’s every word. People hadn’t been very sympathetic when her mother had died either. And, that had been their fault. They were the ones who tricked her. The ones who cursed the heart. But, now was no time to be dwelling on that. She had company with her and she needed to be on her best behavior. She wanted to prolong Aliana finding out what she had done in the past for as long as possible. She knew it would come out eventually, but she was hoping it would be later rather than sooner. 

However, as Aliana spoke once more, Regina was taken aback and her eyes widened. She didn’t even know where to start. Of course there was Mr. Gold and Miss Swan and perhaps a few more, but it was rare enough that perhaps she didn’t need to tell her the truth. She could just lie and tell her no. But, more than anything, Regina just wanted to know why Aliana was so curious. Magic was nothing to mess with. It was serious business. 

“Might I ask why you are so curious?” she swallowed, hesitation screaming from her voice as her eyes locked with Aliana’s.